Strike Follow

IMAGINE MORE than one million workers on strike over pensions less than three months before a general election. Wednesday 23 March could be the biggest single strike day in Britain for over 20 years. The anger that people feel about having their old age stolen from them is growing stronger. Workers know that the longer you work, the earlier you die.

IT WOULD be a crying shame if the education unions were not involved in the joint strike action proposed for the end of March. The size and anger of a 250-strong teachers’ meeting on Wednesday of last week convinces me that there is the potential to build strikes in the NUT union. We can reach far into our unions with this campaign.

THE Threat of more strike action by journalists in the NUJ union at the Enfield Advertiser in north London has won concessions from their Trinity Mirror bosses.

SOME 67,000 lecturers in further and higher education in the Natfhe union are set to ballot for a one-day strike against New Labour’s plans to make us work five extra years. The Natfhe further and higher education sectors’ executives both voted unanimously on Friday of last week for action this term.

EVERY CITY, town and village should be aiming for rallies and strike action on the TUC day of action on Friday 18 February. In Manchester, we have booked Albert Square—the city’s biggest central space—for a lunchtime rally called by Manchester Trades Council in liaison with the North West TUC. Many union branches have already said they want to take part.

THREE DAYS of militant protests last week forced the Bolivian government to expel a multinational water company from the country. A general strike shut down the financial capital of Santa Cruz. At the same time Indian residents of the town of El Alto blocked all the roads leading to La Paz, the administrative capital.

Workers defiant despite ruling JOURNALISTS IN the NUJ union at the Enfield Advertiser in north London were balloting this week about taking further strike action against management cuts. The ten members struck for a day two weeks ago. Owners Trinity Mirror obtained a high court ruling to stop the workers from taking further action and forcing them to reballot. The ballot was set to close on Thursday of this week.There will be an NUJ Left conference on Saturday 12 February in Manchester. Phone 07801789297 for more details.

SOCIAL WORKERS in Liverpool’s families and children department went back to work on Tuesday of last week after a heroic four month all-out strike was ended by regional officials in the Unison union. Before the dispute ended, we warned that the Liberal Democrat controlled council was intent on victimising us.

The TUC Day of Action on 18 February must be the start of a sustained campaign. Some unions are already balloting for strike action. Others were set to follow as this factsheet was produced.

THE Lengthy all-out strike by more than 100 social workers in Liverpool’s adoption, fostering and at-risk children’s units came to an end this week as strikers reluctantly accepted a return to work. The return to work deal, which sells the strikers disgracefully short, was negotiated last month by regional officials of the Unison public sector workers’ union. Unison’s industrial action committee then voted to recommend the deal and withdraw support for the strike.

What can we learn from a revolution in Russia a century ago? It seems a world removed from our lives in 2005. But 1905 was about a new working class coming of age.

THE FUTURE of the four month long all-out strike by social workers in Liverpool’s children and families team was hanging in the balance as Socialist Worker went to press this week.